The present invention relates to a fluid conveying hose having a protective jacket mounted thereon and a method for protecting the hose with the jacket, wherein the jacket protects the hose from crushing or puncture and is easily articulated without significantly limiting the protection provided by the hose jacket.
Fluid conveying hoses are used for a number of applications in industrial and commercial applications. Such hoses can convey air, acetylene, hydraulic fluid, or oxygen. Hoses are typically formed of a flexible rubber material but can be formed of other materials as well. Fluid hoses are designed to withstand internal pressures created by pressurized gas or liquids but typically are not resistant to externally applied forces that may crush or puncture the hose. A common problem with gas or liquid hoses is that they frequently are subjected to being crushed and damaged by forklift trucks or the like that run over the hoses in an industrial establishment.
Protective casings or jackets have been developed for various purposes. In Sakuragi, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,797, a flexible hollow cable having a specifically limited bending ability is designed to house a signal or power transmission line or a liquid or gas conduit in order to limit bending of the cable or hose to prevent loss of function or damage to the cable or hose through sharp bending or crimping. Dysthe, U.S. Pat. No. 1,905,824, discloses a jointed metallic hose casing that is designed to fit tightly over a rubber hose in order to reinforce the hose against high internal pressures. Kimura, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,801 discloses a supporting sheath for electrical cables formed of interconnected links that make it possible to bend the cable so it is held in a fixed position by the sheath.
A prior hose jacket developed by applicant's predecessor for protecting hoses comprises separate tubular segments having squared or flat ends with rubber washers glued to the ends for limiting infiltration of sand and the like inside the hose jacket. These rubber washers had a tendency to break off, and the segments did not interfit, which impaired articulation for tighter spacer segments and produced larger than desirable Gaps when articulated.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved hose jacket and method for protecting a hose.